Wisconsin’s date with No. 16 USC at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday brings a familiar kind of challenge: the Trojans can score, and they can do it fast.
After a 17-7 loss to then-No. 12 UCLA, the Badgers now get another major test against a USC team that has already shown it can survive pressure spots and keep rolling.
USC comes in at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten, with its only defeat a 41-27 loss to Oregon in Week 5. Since then, Lincoln Riley’s group has stacked up narrow wins over Washington and at Penn State, then used last week’s bye to reset.
The offense has the attention, as usual, but the defense remains the part that keeps getting questioned. Before the Trojans make their first trip to Madison as a Big Ten team, here are five names Wisconsin has to have locked in.
At the center of everything is quarterback Jayden Maiava, and the numbers tell the story quickly. Through seven games, he has thrown for 2,045 yards, the second-most nationally, while completing 67.9% of his passes with 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He has tossed multiple touchdown passes in six of seven games and has cleared 245 passing yards in every outing.
Maiava’s body of work stretches beyond this season, too. Across four years of college football - one at UNLV and three at USC - he has piled up 10,042 passing yards with a 64.6% completion rate and 70 touchdowns against 29 interceptions.
At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, he brings size, a quick release and excellent touch on deep throws. He can move within the pocket, but the run threat is minimal; this year he has minus-5 rushing yards and only one carry longer than 10 yards.
That makes the pass rush a major piece of Wisconsin’s plan. If Maiava gets comfortable and starts working through his reads, he can put serious stress on the Badgers, particularly if defensive coordinator Mike Tressel keeps leaning on soft zone coverage.
The backfield has a centerpiece of its own in Bryan Jackson Miller, a former walk-on who has become one of USC’s most important offensive weapons. The question coming into 2026 was how the workload would shake out between him and Waymond Jordan, but Miller has taken hold of the lead role.
He has rushed for 595 yards and four touchdowns on 114 carries, averaging 5.2 yards per attempt and ranking second in the Big Ten in rushing yards. He has gone over 100 yards three times, including a 102-yard, one-touchdown game last time out at Penn State.
At 6-foot and 225 pounds, Miller brings a physical style that wears on defenses. He keeps his legs churning through contact, breaks tackles with balance and can make defenders miss in space.
The passing game is not a major part of his profile - he has only four catches for 28 yards - and his pass protection is not considered a strength. Even so, the Calabasas native is plenty dangerous as a runner, and Wisconsin cannot afford to spend all its attention on Maiava and forget about him.
USC’s receiving room is still deep even after losing Terrell Anderson for the season because of injury. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Tanook Hines and Zacharyus Williams are all in the mix, but the most dangerous of the group may be freshman Makai Lemon Mosley.
Mosley has been limited to four games because of a right knee injury, yet he has been electric when on the field. He has 22 catches for 366 yards and five touchdowns, and in his return at Penn State he stole the spotlight with nine receptions for 111 yards and a score.
The sample is smaller than the others, but the production is impossible to ignore. His 90.5 PFF grade ranks third nationally among wide receivers with at least 30 targets, behind only Malachi Toney and Jeremiah Smith.
At 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, he has the kind of athleticism that shows up beyond offense, too - he returned a punt 86 yards for a touchdown against Louisiana in Week 2. Wisconsin’s secondary has enough to worry about with USC’s receiver group, but Mosley is the one who can take over a game in a flash.
On the defensive side, freshman Justin Wafle has become one of the Trojans’ most disruptive players up front. He has appeared in all seven games and put up 27 tackles, 19 of them solo, along with six tackles for loss, two sacks and a pass breakup. His 16 pressures lead USC, according to PFF, and both sacks have come in the last two games.
Wafle arrived as a consensus five-star recruit, and the early return has matched the billing. At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, he pairs size and strength with a relentless motor.
He may not be the most explosive athlete on the field, but he finds ways to win and already looks polished for a first-year player. USC has other disruptive linemen in Kameryn Crawford and Jide Abasiri, but Wafle is the one trending up the fastest.
One more name for Wisconsin to circle is linebacker Eric Bryant, a Washington transfer who joined USC for 2026 after his first three seasons with the Huskies. He has stepped into a starting job and tied for the team lead with 39 tackles, 24 of them solo, while adding a pass deflection.
Bryant has logged at least five tackles in five straight games and has been on the field for the third-most snaps among Trojan defenders. But the production comes with some exploitable flaws. He has 11 missed tackles, tied for the second most among Big Ten defenders, and opposing quarterbacks have completed 16 of 19 passes when targeting him in coverage.
Wisconsin’s offense is looking for a reset after the UCLA loss, and Bryant gives the Badgers a spot to attack if they want to build momentum.
In Other News...
Wisconsin May Be Walking Into A Better USC Matchup Than It Looks
After a frustrating loss to UCLA snapped Wisconsins four-game winning streak, the Badgers turn right around into a matchup that still looks workable on paper. No. 16 USC brings the more explosive roster and the prettier offensive numbers, but the broader view of this game suggests Wisconsin is not walking into the kind of mismatch the rankings might imply.
Advanced models see a close one, and even give Wisconsin a slight edge in win probability because of what the Badgers have done defensively. USCs defense has been the softer side of the equation, and that is why this one could stay competitive deep into the game, even if the Trojans arrive with the bigger name and the stronger profile. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Just Got An Early Big Ten Reality Check
The preseason AP Poll offered an early snapshot of where the national conversation stands, and Wisconsin was not part of it. While 19 other teams that missed the Top 25 still picked up votes, the Badgers were left out entirely as several Big Ten programs, including Illinois, Michigan State and Michigan, landed in the rankings and others such as Nebraska and Purdue collected support just outside the poll.
For a Wisconsin team with a new-look roster built around transfer additions and freshmen, the omission is not a verdict so much as an early measuring stick. The Badgers now head into the season with a clear reminder that in a league full of recognized names, they will have to prove they belong in the same tier before anyone starts handing them preseason credit. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Defense Could Put USCs Passing Game Under Real Pressure
The USC passing game is heading into one of its tougher road tests with Wisconsin waiting, and the matchup has already gotten the attention of one of the Trojans youngest playmakers. Freshman receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt said the Badgers defense brings the kind of pressure that can disrupt timing and force a clean operation from the offense, with the challenge centered as much on communication as on talent. For a USC group that has leaned on him heavily this season, especially during the absence of fellow freshman Trent Mosley, the trip offers another chance to see how far that connection with quarterback Jayden Maiava has come.
Dixon-Wyatt has grown into one of USCs most important targets, but Wisconsins defense is built to make young receivers earn every window they get. The Trojans will need sharp coordination and patience to keep the passing game on schedule in a stadium where the home defense tends to make everything feel a little tighter. If Maiava and his receivers can stay in sync, USC should have answers. If not, the Badgers look capable of turning a routine passing day into a long afternoon. [Read more 🡒]